My Life: The Story of a Provincial


Read by Expatriate

(4.5 stars; 14 reviews)

A provincial youth of wealth and noble status refuses to employ himself in the typical occupations of the higher classes, thus acquiring a reputation as a lazy good-for-nothing. In reality, he is intensely sensitive to the injustices perpetrated by his social class upon the working classes of town and country, and resolves to become a common laborer, taking employment as a house painter and ikon gilder. All classes of society around him respond to this revolutionary action with bewilderment and ridicule, even the lowest workmen feeling threatened by this insolent shaking of the cosmic structure. Possibly Chekhov's most passionate outcry against the corruption and hypocrisy of every class of conventional society, "My Life" resonates with an Ibsenesque outrage and frustration of powerful relevance to twenty-first century life. (Summary by Expatriate) (3 hr 41 min)

Chapters

Chapter 01 18:37 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 02 15:31 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 03 14:33 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 04 7:55 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 05 10:35 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 06 11:59 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 07 20:03 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 08 7:49 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 09 14:31 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 10 11:08 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 11 3:33 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 12 11:58 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 13 12:51 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 14 4:09 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 15 4:52 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 16 11:57 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 17 7:18 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 18 7:24 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 19 19:01 Read by Expatriate
Chapter 20 5:58 Read by Expatriate

Reviews

Interesting novella, good reader


(3.5 stars)

A very good example of period Russian slice of life in one way and a good discussion of societal classes and what's truly important in life in another. Expatriate does an excellent job making the Russian names sound correct (to someone who doesn't speak Russian anyway) clear, and understandable. However, in Chapter 19 he repeats a paragraph starting around "It was clear he still loved..." no big deal just something he may want to re-record. A major lesson to be learned whether you agree with the main character giving up his noble status to work as a house painter and farmer or not is that you should follow your conscience. When everyone begs him to stop disgracing himself and his family he asks how to do that when he's only following the dictates of his conscience.

A not so sad tale nicely read. A young man full of hope for huma


(5 stars)